Yana Batyrshina: "The goal of the Sky Grace tournament is to show the gymnasts' abilities"

The Olympic silver medalist spoke about the important mission of the unique competitions that will be held in Moscow on December 16-17.

Yana Batyrshina won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, and two years later she graduated from sports. After completing her career, the star gymnast managed to visit both the head coach of the Brazilian national team and the host of several TV programs on different channels, and also became an ambassador of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championship in Baku two years ago. At the experimental tournament Sky Grace, which will be held in Moscow on December 16-17, Yana will be a commentator. In an interview with SE, Batyrshina spoke about the main purpose of the unique competition, the complexity of the rules of 2001-2005, and also expressed her opinion about who the changes in the rules would suit the most.

The Heavenly Grace tournament will be held on the initiative of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and with the organizational support of the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation. It will be attended by 14 athletes from 14 different countries who will compete in the individual all-around.

There will be no restrictions on the Sky Grace

— Yana, please tell us what are the main features of the rules of 2001-2005 and the new ones?

— The rules of 2001-2005 are the most favorite rules of Alina Kabaeva, with them she became an Olympic champion, although she performed in several variants during her career. In the latest edition of the rules, you can make a maximum of nine elements of body difficulties. And when Alina performed, there were 12 of them, three more. The main goal of the competition is to combine the rules, because earlier it was possible to show more, even at the expense of these three elements. But there was also an opportunity to demonstrate greater complexity by other indicators. There is an Olympic motto — faster, higher, stronger. So it is here — whoever shows more wins. And now the story is like this: we made nine elements, and if you make the tenth, then it does not automatically count.

Why not do so: who can do nine, and let someone in the same exercise do 12 or even 15? The gymnast will benefit from this — she has more difficulties, elements, difficulties. Why do the rules equalize everyone now? Even if you are super talented and can show more than your rivals, then you are limited by the system! Because you understand that you will make this 10th, 11th or 12th difficulty, and it will not be counted.

— What is the main goal of the Heavenly Grace tournament?

— The main idea of the tournament is to show how you can combine the new rules and what was before. Now, of course, there are elements for flexibility, and for the difficulty of the body, and for the possession of the subject. I want to make such a symbiosis so that the gymnast who will make the greatest difficulty wins, and not limit it — only nine, five or four elements. I want to show what gymnasts are capable of in general. In this tournament, according to the combined rules, there are no restrictions at all in difficulty. Open evaluation. You make difficulties as much as you do.

— Is it harder or easier when you are not limited in difficulties?

— For some, it may be more difficult. But that's the point — we don't need to equalize everyone, on the contrary, we need everyone to strive for the best and catch up with them. This benefits the development of rhythmic gymnastics — not to equalize everyone and not to put any restrictions, but to develop gymnastics, to make it move forward. Now we limit everyone and put them in a certain framework. There will be an unlimited number of difficulties on the "Sky Grace. It will be very interesting, someone, perhaps, 20 will have time. And that's twice as much! Gymnasts specially prepare exercises for these competitions, it's not easy.

— So these rules are more objective?

— Of course! Whoever made it harder and more won. This is the meaning and idea of the tournament. The complexity of the composition is an open assessment, this is an important criterion of the tournament. Now there is no such thing at official competitions. It is necessary to make nine elements of difficulties. The rest does not count. And on the "Sky Grace according to the rules, an open assessment. This is the real competition — the winner is the one who has done more.

New rules will help Kramarenko

— Is it difficult to adapt to the rules and put exercises specifically for the tournament?

— I'm sure it is. It's not easy, but I think it's interesting for the gymnasts themselves. I know how Lala Kramarenko, who will represent Russia at this tournament, is preparing. From her choreographer-director there are such reviews that it's just wow! Unreal delight from staging programs according to these rules. Finally, you can not limit yourself, but show the maximum possible complexity, how many elements are placed and how much you can do. So in the case of Lala, everyone is very happy, interesting programs are obtained, heterogeneous.

We have such a jump — jeté en tournant. Like in a ballet. It is estimated at 0.6. It is considered one of the most "expensive" jumps. Therefore, now almost everyone jumps jete en tournan. And it's very monotonous. Why don't they take other jumps, which, in my opinion, are even more difficult, but "cost" less. It is not profitable for gymnasts to make a difficult jump, for which they will give less points, they will do this token better. But Alina and I, for example, did a jump "jump". I haven't seen him for the last five years, no one makes him. Although this jump is more difficult than the jet en tournan. But it is unprofitable to perform it, it is better to make three tokens and get a certain number of points than to learn other jumps, which are physically much more difficult. There is some kind of illogicality in the rules. Because of this, most gymnasts perform approximately the same turns — someone turns more, someone less, but they try to choose the most "expensive" turn, jump, balance, because there are only nine elements.

If there is an open assessment and you can get as much as the gymnast will do, then the exercises will be more diverse. Gymnasts will start learning different turns, jumps, and balances. It will become much more interesting.

— Then you still need to adjust the cost of the elements.

— This also needs to be done. As far as I know, the ultimate goal of this tournament is to show how it can be, and try to convey to the International Gymnastics Federation how it is possible to perform. To see how cool it is. Perhaps they will listen, make adjustments to the cost of elements and generally revise the rules.

— Are the rules being changed so that everyone stops doing monotonous exercises?

— They change the rules for the development of gymnastics. But everything new is well—forgotten old. Periodically, it is necessary not to look for new things, but to see what was good in the past. For example, in 2001-2005. Something there can be looked after, something here, we must try to find a golden mean. It's not easy, but it's possible. I do not know the people who make adjustments, but I have heard reviews about the new rules from the Averin sisters. They're not thrilled. But it is clear — they have been working under different rules for four years, they are used to them. Previously, the difficulty of the subject was more appreciated — throws, catches, risks, and now — the difficulty of the body. Now there are constant risks — there is no need to throw and throw, it is not so expensive "worth it". Girls are very strong in this component. We need to rebuild, and it's not that easy. I myself went through a change of rules, it's always quite a difficult process.

— They say the new rules will suit Lala Kramarenko.

— There are no more gymnasts like Lala. It combines everything. The new rules are right under it. She won't have any problems, that's for sure. Everything is fine with her body difficulty, everything is wonderful with her artistry, and with her performance. I think her time has come.

— Is it possible for gymnasts who are used to the old rules to adapt to the new rules?

— You can adapt, learn something or retrain something. Everything is possible, we've been through it all more than once. And I've been through it. But, of course, it's not so easy, you need to approach wisely, you need to calmly deal with the coach and choreographer, make new programs. Something will have to learn to do again, and not everyone will cope. Not because they can't, but purely because of their physiological capabilities.

Source: Sport-Express.